28 Family Members Contract Coronavirus, Father Dies

Written by: @kristenshylin_

A 60-year-old man, Vidal Garay, died the day before Father’s Day ahead of a celebration with his family, according to The Central Valley Business Journal.

Vidal’s wife, Norma Garay, said she wished it was all a bad nightmare as she described the loss of her partner.

Norma’s husband and 22-year-old son Richard were the first in the family to contract the virus.

A week after the father and son contracted the virus, more than 24 family members tested positive. The virus spread like a forest fire, Richard said.

Because Vidal and his son struggled with pre-existing health complications, their battle with the illness was more intense than the rest of the family.

The two were isolated in the same room until their condition required hospital treatment.

Richard said his last words to his father were, “I don’t think I’m going to get over it.”

“Maybe, my dad thought, ‘Hey, if you go, I’m going, too,’” Richard said. “That breaks my heart.

The son questions if his father gave up once he saw his son was fighting for his life.

“The last thing my father saw was that I suffocated,” Richard said.

The young adult said he did not get the opportunity to let his father know that he was okay.

Richard cautioned everyone to follow health and safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The virus is real, he added.

“I am a real person,” he said. “My father was a real person.”